September 19th

Claus Grupen (19-09-1941) German composer

Claus Grupen
[Uni. Siegen]

Claus Grupen is a physicist specialized in Astroparticle Physics.
He has composed chess problems since the 1970s and is fond of moremovers miniatures or Merediths.

Grupen, Claus
Problem Observer
2^nd Prize

#5

5 + 2

Show Solution

1.Kb7-c6 ! ZZ
1...Kh4-g4 2.Ba6-c8+ Kg4-h4 3.Bh6-g7 Kh4-g5 4.Kc6-d5 ZZ and the mate follows:
4...Kg5xf4 5.Bg7-h6# or 4...Kg5-h4 5.Bg7-f6#
Good economy.

Frank Reinhold (19-09-1961) German composer

Frank Reinhold
[@Julia Vysotska - ECSC Hagen 2024]

Frank Reinhold composes direct mates, helpmates and selfmates.

Reinhold, Frank
Schach (magazine) 1986
1^st Prize

h#2

b) wKg8->g7

5 + 9

Show Solution

a) 1.Bg3-h4+ Sf5-g7 2.Kf4-g3 Sg7-h5#
b) 1.e5-e4+ Sd1-b2 2.Kf4-e5 Sb2-d3#
The white unit pins itself, is unpinned by the black King and gives mate. Pin mates in each solution.

Reinhold, Frank
Schach (magazine) 1985
Prize

#6

7 + 11

Show Solution

1.Bg8-e6 ! (2.Be6xg4#)
1...h6-h5 the black Pawn is attracted to h5 for a distant self-block
2.Be6-b3 (3.Bb3-d1#) 2...Rb4xb3 the black Rook is decoyed from the 4th rank
3.Re4-e5 (4.Re5-f5#) 3...e7-e6 4.Re5xe6 (5.Re6-f6#) 4...Kf3-f4 5.Re6-f6+ Kf4-g5 6.Sg3-e4#

Daniel Keith (19-09-1953) French composer and FIDE Master

Daniel Keith composes endgame studies.

Keith, Daniel
Matous60JT
2^nd Prize

=

3 + 4

Show Solution

1. b8=Q+
{1. Bd4 Kxb7 2. Ke3 (2. Kc3 Sc6 3. Bf2 Sa5) 2... Se6 3. Bf6 Sg5}
{1.Kc3 Sxb7 2. Bd4 Sa5 3. Kd2 Sc4+ 4. Ke1 Kc6 ! {tempo} 5. Kf2 Kd5}
1... Kxb8 2.Kc3
{2. Ba3 Se6 3. Ke3 (3. Kc3 f2) 3... Sg5 4. Bb2 Kb7}
2... Sb7 3.Bd4 !
{3. Bf2 Sa5}
3... Sa5 4. Kd2 !
{4. Kd3 Sc4}
4... Sc6
{4... Sc4+ 5. Ke1 Se3 6. Kf2 Sf5 7. Be5+ ! (7. Bf6 Nh4)}
5. Bh8 !!
{5. Bg7 Se7 {tempo} 6. Bh8 Sf5 ; 5. Ba1 Sb4 ! 6. Ke1 Sc2+ ; 5. Bb2 Sb4 6. Ke3 f2 7. Ke2 Sd3 -+; 5. Bf6 Sb4 -+}
5... Sd8
{5... Se7 6. Ke3 Sg6 7. Bd4 Sh4 8. Kd2}
6. Ke3
{6. Kc3 f2; 6. Be5+ Kb7 7. Ke3 Sf7; 6. Bd4 Kb7 7. Ke3 Se6}
6... Sf7 7.Bd4 Sg5 8. Kd2 Se6
{8... Se4+ 9. Kc1 Kb7 10. Kb2 Sd2 11. Kc3}
9.Be3
{9. Bf2 Sf4 10. Kc3 b2}
9... Sf4
{9... Sc7 10. Kc1 Sd5 11. Bg1 !)
10. Bxf4+ =

Sergey Genrikhovich Kasparyan (19-09-1952 - 13-10-2022) Armenian composer

Sergey Kasparyan
[Arves.org]

Sergey Kasparyan is the son of the famous endgame composer Genrikh Kasparyan. He composes endgame studies (and a few direct mate problems).
More about him, an obituary by his wife and a selection of his endgame studies can be found on the Arves website as well as in S. Hornecker's article on chessbase.com.

Kasparjan, Sergej
Krikheli MT 1989
Honorable Mention

=

3 + 5

Show Solution

1. Ra6 Bf3+ 2. Kh2
2. Kxg1? d2! -+
2... d2 3.Bd4+ Kh7 4. Ra7+ Bb7
4... Kg8? 5. Rg7+ Kf8 6. Rxg1 +-
5. Rxb7+ Kh6 6. Bg7+ Kg6 7. Rd7 Sf3+ 8. Kg3 Sd4 {Novotny} 9. Rxd4 a1=Q 10. Rg4+ Kh5 11. Rh4+
11.Bxa1? d1=Q and Black wins either the Bishop or the Rook
11... Kg5 12. Rg4+ Kf5 13.Rf4+ Kg5 draw by repetition or 13...Ke6 14.Bxa1 d1=Q =